Oliver w



PATENT Erica.

OLIVER w. COOKE, on NEW YORK, N. v.

" CANCELlNG-PUNCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 584,925, dated June 22,1897.

' Application filed November 29, 1895. Serial No. 570,367. (No model.) 4

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLIVER W. COOKE, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of the city of New York, in the county of New York, in theState of New York, have invented a new and useful Canceling-Punch, ofwhich the following is a correct description.

The invention has relation to that class of punches which are actuatedby closing and opening the fingers of the hand; and it relatesparticularly to devices of this class which are used by gate-attendantsin railway-stations and by conductors upon railway-trains for mutilatingthe fare tickets or coupons of passengers or for applying to suchtickets or coupons a known designating-mark whereby the history of suchticket or each coupon or section of such ticket is duly registered in orupon the body thereof.

It is well known to persons whose duty it is to make up accountsrelating to passagetickets when all the sections or coupons thereof havebeen taken up and returned to the issuing-office that much inconvenienceand annoyance frequently result from the separa tion of such sections orcoupons upon such irregular and ill-defined lines that the numerals orthe dates thereof cannot readily be so clearly made out as to establishwith certainty the identity of the part and its relation to its fellowsas originally assembled.

The particular object of this invention, therefore, is to render aticket canceling punch more useful and effective by providing upon itsjaws a simple and inexpensive cutting or shearing appliance whereby theticket-collector may in an instant make a clean, straight, andwell-defined severance and detachment of the section or coupon which itis his duty to take up, the remaining portion of the ticket beinggrasped by and firmly held between the two opposite flat surfaces ofsuch jaws; and it is in the provision, upon a canceling-punch theopposite jaws of which have flat closely-meeting faces, of suitable andconvenient cutting or shearing edges or surfaces, so that bya singleclosing movement of the jaws a portion of the ticket may be cut oif andthe remainder thereof be closely engaged between the fiat jaw-faces,that the invention essentially consists.

The invention consists further, however,

in the novel construction which is hereinafter particularly describedand specifically claimed.

In. the accompanying drawings, which constitute a part of thisspecification, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of thecancelingpunch. Fig. 2 is a detail bottom plan view of the upper jaw ofthe implement under the construction represented in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is adetail top plan view of the lower jaw according to the sameconstruction. Fig. 4 is a transverse section as in the line a: a: ofFig. 1, but showing the jaws somewhat nearer together than in thatfigure. Fig. 5 represents a transverse section as in the line y y ofFig. 1. Fig. 6 represents a detail bottom plan of upper jaw as modifiedaccording to the construction seen in Figs. 7, S, and 9. Fig. 7 is a topplan of the lower jaw as modified. Fig. 8 is a transverse section of theimplement as modified, the line being as at a: 50 in Fig. 1. Fig. 9 is atransverse section, as at y y of Fig. 1, of the modified formrepresented in Figs. 6, 7, and 8. Fig. 10 is a further modification inwhich an open slot is substituted for the cavity seen in Figs. '7, 8,and 9, the section being as in the line 3 y of Fig. 1.

It will be understood that the outer extremity e of the implement Athatis, that portion upon which the cutting-punch a and its vertical passage19 are providedis or may be of ordinary construction, and also that theoperating levers or handles Z and Z and the spring or springs s,employed for causing them to be spread apart upon their hinge or pivotpin h when they have been forced toward each other, may be of anyapproved construction.

. Along the left margin in of that portion of the upper jaw'j which isbetween the punching or canceling extremity e and the hinge or pivot pinh is extended a downwardly-projecting cutting edge or blade Z). This jawj is of a width which is slightly greater than the width of the jaw 3'and the inner face of the blade 1) is in a vertical plane, while theouter face is inclined or beveled from its upper extremity inwardly anddownwardly to form the cutting edge, as seen in the vertical section,Fig. 5. lVithin the body of this jaw at the base of the blade I) isprovided a narrow tran sversely-wedge-shaped groove or cavity 0. Uponthe corresponding margin on of the jaw is the upwardly-projectingcutting edge or blade I), which, unlike the blade 1), is made verticalupon its outer face, while upon its inner face it is beveled or inclinedupwardly and outwardly from its lower to its upper extremity.

Under the modified form of construction represented in Figs. 0, 7, 8,and 9 the jawj is unprovided with a cutting-blade, but an equivalent isfound in the greater breadth of the jaw and in the provision in thebroadened portion of the minute opening or narrow slot 3', which extendsalong that portion of the jaw which is coincident with the blade 1) uponsuch upper jaw and which is of such dimensions as to adapt it to exactlyreceive such blade and thus to effect with certainty a severanee orbisection of the ticket.

The length of the cutting-blades or knifeed ges may vary according tothe requirements of the service or work in which they are to beemployed. Ordinarily the breadth of the slips upon which the series ofticketcoupons is printed is about three inches, and if the severingedges are of this extent a single movement or clip of the jaws will cutentirely across the slip and make a straight and smooth separation ofthe terminal coupon therefrom.

It will be noted that as the jaws are closed in the act of bringing thecutting-surfaces together to sever the coupon from the lower end of itsslip the coupon thus severed will at the same instant be engaged betweenthe coincident .ilat main surfaces of the two jaws and will beheld bythem, while the main portion of the slip, embracing the ticket-head andthe remainder, if any, of the series of coupons, is returned to theticket-holder, whereupon the left hand of the ticket-taker will be freeto grasp the detached coupon as the fingers of the right hand arerelaxed from the levers and the coupon is freed from the grasp of thejaws.

It will be apparent that the severing devices seen in the modificationrepresented in Figs. ii to 9 might be reversed in their relativepositions without exceeding the scope of this invention.

As will readily be inferred from the foregoing, the use of atransversely central cutter at the end of a jaw acting in conjunctionwith a central slot or with a bifurcation in an opposite jaw would beineffective for the accomplishment of the objects which I havedescribed. So, also, would a marginally-attached cutting-blade whichacts in con nection with the blunt shoulder or corner of an oppositejaw, since it is obvious thatin cutting so soft, so thin, and soflexible a material as paper practically sharp shearing edges arenecessary to produce the indispensable shearing action. So, also, wouldpliers which are furnished with cutting edges which are arranged inexactly the same plane and which are purposely so mounted as to effectonly a partial severance of the article or thing which it is desired todivide. So, also, would any punching or cutting appliance in which,regardless of its other peculiarities, the opposite faces thereof arenot flat, or which for any.

other reason may not be brought into close contact, so as to embrace andretain the main portion of the ticket or slip while a portion is beingsevered and removed.

I am aware of Patent No. 30et,089, dated August 26, 1884, to S. V.Entrekin, and of Patent No. 311,121, dated January 20, 1885, to B. M.Ilair, each of which has a single lateral exterior depending cutter andeach of which has transverse grooves which are adapted to receivecircular lines or belts of leather. I do not claim and have no desire toemploy such construction. I believe, however, that I am the first toprovide in a punch opposite flat surfaces which are adapted to engagethe flat surface of a passage-ticlt'et; the first to provide in a punchopposite knives or blades which are intended to sever a ticket, coupon,or other written or printed sheet of paper; the first to provide in apunch opposite knives or blades which are either adapted or intended tosever a passage-ticket or other paper sheet, and the first to conceivethe idea of a twojawed ticket-canceling appliance which is adapted tosimultaneously cut oil. one portion of the ticket and securely grasp theflat outspread remaining portion.

The invention havingbeen thus described, what is claimed is- 1. Aticket-canceling punch the opposite jaws of which are adapted to bebrought in contact, face to face, to embrace the body of the ticket; andwhich are provided along their left margin with coincident shearingblades or edges which are adapted to engage the body of the ticket, topartially pass each other as the jaws are brought together, and to severthe ticket from the parts contiguous thereto; substantially as shown anddescribed.

2. A ticket-canceling punch the opposing jaws of which are in their mainportion flat, and which are adapted to be brought into contact, face toface, to engage between them the body of the ticket; one of the jaws ofwhich has upon its meeting face a marginal projecting cutting andshearing blade; and the opposite jaw of which is provided in its meetingface with a depression or opening, to receive the projecting cutting andshearing blade of the other jaw; substantially as and for the purposesspeeilied.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature this lflth dayof October,v

OLIVER \V. COOKIE.

\Vitnesses:

WILBUR S. CooKn, JOHN P. MoOABE.

